Exodus 33
33
1The Lord said to Moses, “Get going, you and the people you brought up from the land of Egypt. Go up to the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I told them, ‘I will give this land to your descendants.’ 2And I will send an angel before you to drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 3Go up to this land that flows with milk and honey. But I will not travel among you, for you are a stubborn and rebellious people. If I did, I would surely destroy you along the way.”
4When the people heard these stern words, they went into mourning and stopped wearing their jewelry and fine clothes. 5For the Lord had told Moses to tell them, “You are a stubborn and rebellious people. If I were to travel with you for even a moment, I would destroy you. Remove your jewelry and fine clothes while I decide what to do with you.” 6So from the time they left Mount Sinai,#33:6 Hebrew Horeb, another name for Sinai. the Israelites wore no more jewelry or fine clothes.
7It was Moses’ practice to take the Tent of Meeting#33:7 This “Tent of Meeting” is different from the Tabernacle described in chapters 26 and 36. and set it up some distance from the camp. Everyone who wanted to make a request of the Lord would go to the Tent of Meeting outside the camp.
8Whenever Moses went out to the Tent of Meeting, all the people would get up and stand in the entrances of their own tents. They would all watch Moses until he disappeared inside. 9As he went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and hover at its entrance while the Lord spoke with Moses. 10When the people saw the cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, they would stand and bow down in front of their own tents. 11Inside the Tent of Meeting, the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Afterward Moses would return to the camp, but the young man who assisted him, Joshua son of Nun, would remain behind in the Tent of Meeting.
Moses Sees the Lord’s Glory
12One day Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Take these people up to the Promised Land.’ But you haven’t told me whom you will send with me. You have told me, ‘I know you by name, and I look favorably on you.’ 13If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. And remember that this nation is your very own people.”
14The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”
15Then Moses said, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place. 16How will anyone know that you look favorably on me—on me and on your people—if you don’t go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth.”
17The Lord replied to Moses, “I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and I know you by name.”
18Moses responded, “Then show me your glorious presence.”
19The Lord replied, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh,#33:19 Yahweh is a transliteration of the proper name YHWH that is sometimes rendered “Jehovah”; in this translation it is usually rendered “the Lord” (note the use of small capitals). before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose. 20But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.” 21The Lord continued, “Look, stand near me on this rock. 22As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen.”
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Exodus 33: NLT
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Exodus 33
33
The Command to Leave Sinai
1The Lord said to Moses, “Depart; go up from here, you #ch. 32:7 and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To #ch. 32:13; See Gen. 12:7your offspring I will give it.’ 2I will send an #See ch. 14:19 angel before you, #See ch. 13:5and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 3#See ch. 3:8 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; #[ver. 15-17] but I will not go up among you, #ch. 32:10; Num. 16:21, 45 lest I consume you on the way, for you are a #See ch. 32:9stiff-necked people.”
4When the people heard this disastrous word, they #Num. 14:39 mourned, and #[Ezek. 24:17, 23; 26:16]no one put on his ornaments. 5For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a #[See ver. 3 above] stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would #ch. 32:12 consume you. So now #[See ver. 4 above]take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.’” 6Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.
The Tent of Meeting
7Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and #ch. 29:42, 43 he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who #Deut. 4:29; 2 Sam. 21:1; 1 Chr. 16:10, 11; Ps. 40:16sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. 8Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and #[Num. 16:27]each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. 9When Moses entered the tent, the #See ch. 13:21pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord#33:9 Hebrew he would speak with Moses. 10And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. 11Thus #Num. 12:8; Deut. 34:10; See Gen. 32:30 the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his #ch. 17:9, 10; 24:13; 32:17assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.
Moses’ Intercession
12Moses said to the Lord, “See, #ch. 32:34 you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, #ver. 17‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ 13Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please #Ps. 25:4; [Ps. 103:7] show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is #Deut. 9:29; [Joel 2:17]your people.” 14And he said, #Josh. 1:5; Isa. 63:9; See ch. 40:34-38 “My presence will go with you, and #Deut. 3:20; Josh. 21:44; 22:4; 23:1; [Ps. 95:11]I will give you rest.” 15And he said to him, #[ver. 1-3]“If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 16For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? #Num. 14:14 Is it not in your going with us, #ch. 19:5, 6; 1 Kgs. 8:53so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”
17And the Lord said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, #ver. 12, 13for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” 18Moses said, “Please #[ver. 20; 1 Tim. 6:16]show me your glory.” 19And he said, #Ps. 31:19; Jer. 31:14; [ch. 34:5-7] “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And #Cited Rom. 9:15I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for #Gen. 32:30; Deut. 5:24; Judg. 6:22, 23; 13:22; Isa. 6:5; Rev. 1:17; [ch. 24:10, 11]man shall not see me and live.” 21And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, 22and while my glory passes by I will put you in a #Isa. 2:21 cleft of the rock, and I will #Ps. 91:1, 4cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall #ver. 20; John 1:18; 1 Tim. 6:16; 1 John 4:12not be seen.”
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